Kaze No Takuto
by koholint
Summary: The Hero of Time disappeared over one thousand years ago. From the small island of Outset comes a new hero. On Windfall, he meets a mysterious stranger named Raven. Just who is he, really? Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ON HIATUS
1. Last Stand

Hyrule was quiet. Even the birds failed to disturb the eerie silence. The only sound was that of metal scraping metal. There was a battle in the field.

No, Hyrule was not at war. There had been a few moblin uprisings, but it was nothing the Hylian Army couldn't take care of, especially with their bold and fearless leader, Link.

Nobody knew any details about him, yet all owed him their lives. It wasn't just the fact that he was a knight, either. Little did the Hyruleans know, but their beloved commander was also the Hero of Time. The only ones who knew this secret were Princess Zelda and her fellow sages. The other was the unspeakable evil, Ganondorf.

While these uprisings were weak and taken care of quickly, Link began to feel uneasy. Ganondorf had created Moblins, but not only he felt this way. Hyrule's inhabitants too, felt the disturbance.

Some of the more morbid folks began talking about the imminent return of evil. Others remained hopeful, trusting in one of Hyrule's many legends. Most of them prayed to the three goddesses, Nayru, Din, and Farore. It was a sort of cold war.

The battle was nearly over. Dead soldiers, both Hylian and moblin alike, littered the field. Only two fighters were left, and they meant business.

These fighters were Link, the Hero of Time, and Ganondorf, the King of Evil.

It was a fight to the death.

Ganondorf, at the moment, had Link pinned to a boulder with his sword. The pain caused Link to cry out in pain.

"Squirm, damn you, squirm!" bellowed Ganondorf, twisting his sword. The sword, lodged in Link's stomach, brought further pain. This violent act caused the hero to scream through clenched teeth.

Infuriated that he was taking everything so well, Ganondorf ripped his blade out of Link and attempted to hack off his head. But Link was nowhere to be seen.

Ganondorf suddenly felt intense pain shoot through him. He looked down and saw Link's sword jammed straight through his side. He reacted quickly, not giving Link enough time to recover his sword. He rolled out of the way, barely missing the edge of his opponent's blade. Ganondorf growled and intensified his attacks. He assailed Link with a storm of blows, his temper rising every time they were dodged.

Link was, unfortunately, tiring. Their battle had lasted nearly twenty minutes, and Link had taken far more damage. Noticing this, Ganondorf tripped the Hylian with his sword. Then he struck with all of his fury. Link, unable to block properly or evade, had to take the blow.

His shield was, perhaps, the only thing that saved him. It shattered instantly upon impact, but it stopped most of the power behind the attack. However, the sword still entered his arm and lodged itself in the bone. With sudden force, Ganondorf twisted his sword in such a way that Link's arm snapped and hung broken at his side. He screamed and collapsed onto the red ground.

"Ha ha ha! Now I'll surely kill you!" laughed Ganondorf. He spoke again, malice dripping from every syllable. "I've been dreaming of this the whole time I was in that wretched hell-hole you locked me in. What was it called? Oh yeah, the Sacred Realm!" He used his anger to fuel a kick aimed directly at Link.

Link was slammed into the boulder he'd been pinned to moments before. He gasped as one side of his ribs cracked. To Ganondorf's surprise, it appeared as though Link still wasn't going to give up. His patience was running very thin, and he wanted Link to just keel over and die.

As Link struggled to his feet, Ganondorf moved closer. "Idiot!" he shrieked, "I will kill you!" He raised his sword only to have it snatched out of his hands.

Link had seen an opportunity and took it. Immediately after seizing the sword, he'd jumped. When he came down, he used his momentum to slice Ganondorf across the throat. Surprise had overtaken Ganondorf and he didn't even scream. He simply clutched his neck and sank to his knees. After what sounded like a strangled wheeze, he fell onto his face. Link, exhausted and hurt, collapsed as well.

Link sighed heavily, his breathing labored and painful. If he didn't get help quickly he would die. After glancing at his wounds, he figured he'd probably die anyway. He'd lost way too much blood and would need to hurry. Getting to his feet, he looked to where his enemy had fallen.

His face turned white as a sheet. Ganondorf had disappeared! He turned around so fast he was asking for whiplash.

His rival was standing up, grinning. To Link's horror, every wound Ganondorf had received was gone! He tore Link's sword out of his body and tossed it away. Before his very eyes, the wound healed itself completely. There was no trace that it had ever been there.

Link was dumbstruck. Before he had a chance to react, Ganondorf knocked him to the ground. Link, winded, lay there like a dead thing.

Ganondorf's huge form loomed over Link's small, tired one. Aiming the palm of his hand at the Hylian, he chanted some dark words. An energy began to gather, and as it did, even the sky appeared to turn black.

Suddenly, he released it. Link struggled to get up, but weariness had the best of him. When it hit, poor Link was so tired he couldn't even scream.

The magic paralyzed him. Flickers of energy danced over his body every now and then as if to reinforce the paralysis. Ganondorf used this temporary handicap to his advantage and rammed his sword into Link's chest.

Ganondorf's eyes flashed red as his weapon sank deeper and deeper into flesh. He grinned maliciously as he witnessed Link's pain. The blade eventually pierced completely through him.

"Well, well, well. What have we here? The mighty Hero of Time is finally defeated."

Almost instantly his expression turned to a look of concern. "But I could heal you if you wanted. You are engaged aren't you?"

A look of surprise crossed Link's face.

"Ah yes, I know. Princess Zelda. You could go back to her, you know." He saw Link open his mouth as though to say speak, but he quickly shut it. Ganondorf advanced towards the fallen hero and grabbed him roughly by the collar. "All I'd need is your Triforce!" He dropped the Hylian.

" What are you, 28? Such a young age to die." He smirked at Link's bewildered look. "Yes, I now much about you. So what do you choose? Death? Or life with your precious Zelda? Remember boy; I'd need your Triforce. Even if you choose death, I'll wrench it from your dead body."

He stopped suddenly. A golden light was rising from Link's left hand! The look that appeared upon his face was that of a greedy child given his desire.

"I see! So you did choose life!" As he reached for the Triforce of Courage, its glow intensified. It grew brighter and brighter, and it forced Ganondorf to turn away. When he opened his eyes, it was gone. Had he looked up, he would have seen eight golden shards speeding off in different directions.

Link coughed blood, yet when he spoke his voice was clear and defiant. "I have not! I'd rather die than hand the Triforce over to you! You'll never get it, you bastard!"

"Fool!" screeched Ganondorf, quite obviously shaken, "Then I shall leave you here to die! I may not have gotten your blasted Triforce, but I will take Hyrule! Now that you're out of the way, I'll have no trouble doing so!" With that, he spat at Link and marched away.

"Die, pathetic hero!"

He vanished.

Link shuddered violently, not bothering to get up. He knew he was done for, and had no regrets, except for one thing. Zelda. He wouldn't be there, forever and always, like he'd wanted to be.

Zelda would be crushed by his death. He wished he could tell her not to worry, but it was too late. He didn't want her to mourn. All he wanted was for her to be happy.

Link had no doubt that Zelda would keep Hyrule safe. She and the sages had more than enough power to keep Ganondorf at bay. "By then," he thought bitterly, "someone more worthy of the title 'hero' will appear…"

Link's breath came in short gasps. It quickly grew even shallower. His vision was blurry from blood loss and general weakness. Or was it tears? He wished he could have seen her, one last time.

"Zelda…" he whispered to the winds, "I love you…"

The Hero of Time closed his eyes and was lost.


	2. Windfall Island

Sorry for taking so long, but I had appendicitis and it hurts like hell. I'll try to make more regular updates.

About chapter one, I forgot to leave a note, so I'll do it here.

Hinted romance, yes, yes! I love fluff so there will be at least one fluffy chapter when I'm through with this.

* * *

A lone Chu oozed towards the still figure. The only other person it had ever seen was a crazy potion maker, so naturally this piked its curiosity. 

Now, ordinarily this ChuChu would be in the cave with the others. However, there seemed to be something wrong. This human didn't even move as it oozed closer. Was it dead?

No. He appeared to be asleep. To the Chu's surprise, the man twitched as though dreaming. It jumped back, startled.

This human was different than the others the jelly had seen in its life. He was dressed in a green tunic with a white shirt underneath. His feet were covered in worn leather boots. The gauntlets on his hands were of the same soft leather. He also wore a long, green hat.

The strangest things about him were his ears. Yes, they were long and pointy, like the other humans', but his seemed more refined somehow. They were pierced with blue earrings. The Chu was intrigued, having always liked shiny things. The stranger also had a sword and shield laid out beside him, in addition to some other objects. It moved closer.

The Chu was only about a foot away from the man. It paused, debating in its small mind whether or not to attack. It prepared to jump, having come to a decision, when the man yawned. The Chu shot down the entrance to its cave like an arrow and did not venture out for quite some time.

The man rubbed his eyes. He felt terrible. Being stiff all over, he stretched and then opened his eyes.

At first he thought he was still dreaming. Only after blinking stupidly a couple of times did he feel fully awake. His mind reeled.

"What happened to me?" He thought, exasperated. "I thought I was dead…"

He looked around and noticed something quite out of place.

"The ocean? That can't be right! The only ocean was in Termina, but I'm not there, either. What in Hyrule is going on?"

He frantically glanced around again. Then he noticed his sword and suddenly relaxed, almost involuntarily. The agitation soon returned upon his discernment of an island.

"A windmill-topped island, eh? Well, this definitely isn't where people go when they die," he thought sarcastically. "Wait, are those buildings? At least I know it's inhabited. Not too far, either. I wish there was a boat around here…ah well, I guess I could swim it."

Link sighed and picked up his weapons, then stopped. He realized there was no way he was going to swim with a shield and a musical instrument. The only thing he could do was stuff his precious ocarina in a makeshift bag, (his hat), and cram it into a tree hollow. He put his shield over the niche to keep out critters. Yes, he'd noticed a Chu or two after awakening. The only item he kept with him was his sword, which he strapped to his back. Of course, he never went anywhere without it.

His confusion subsided. He resolved to swim to the other island, hoping to get some answers. It came back after he noticed all the wounds Ganondorf had inflicted upon him were nothing more than pale scars. Even his broken arm and ribs had healed.

"So I guess that really did happen." He thought pensively. "I sure with I knew what was going on."

Link shoved that argument to the back of his mind and focused on more important things. He tied back his hair with a strip of leather and smiled, remembering how much Zelda liked it that way. His smile disappeared as quickly as it had come.

"Zelda! Oh goddesses, where is she?" He looked behind him as though hoping to find her there. She wasn't. He sighed in defeat and ran a hand across his eyes. "I really am going crazy aren't I? I need an answer…"

He looked to the east and saw the sun already high in the sky. "At least I know what time it is," he thought. "I better hurry." A light shone directly in his eyes, momentarily blinding him.

"Dammit, what was that?" Link marched over to the inanimate object and snatched it out of the sand. "Piece of c-" He suddenly noticed what it was. Another light flashed and he turned away, shocked. He turned his left hand over and saw a faint gold tinge where his Triforce symbol had once been.

"My Triforce? Well, a piece of it anyway…how did it end up here? Maybe this really could be Hyrule? Although Hyrule didn't have an ocean…"

Link roughly shook his head, sending his long blonde bangs flying. The last thing he needed at a time like this was more doubts. He dove into the ocean.

The island was perhaps a mile away. He tried to keep his strokes even, as he didn't want to tire too fast. The island was drawing nearer, but not fast enough for him. He rebuked himself and tried to manage his impatience.

He was about halfway there when the first signs of tiring showed. His lungs cried for air and he had the beginnings of a leg cramp. Link just pushed on wearily. Swimming never really had been one of his strong points. He clambered, dripping wet, ashore twenty minutes later.

"Do I feel like crap now!" Link muttered. "I probably look it, too." He was hungry, tired, wet, and lost. He shivered. "Damn. I guess I'll just camp out there for now." Link took refuge in a nearby cove until he dried off. He didn't want to be noticed by whoever lived on the island. "I'd probably scare them off…" He snickered to himself.

Only once he was dry did he look at his reflection in the water. To his astonishment, he didn't look half bad. He did notice that his ponytail was wild, but after fixing it he seemed quite normal. He flashed his pearly whites.

"So call me conceited." He looked at his reflection one last time and, satisfied with his appearance, left the cove.

Link began to walk to the center of the island. His suspicion was correct; the island was inhabited. The main city was directly in his path. On the way he passed a small building, which he figured was some sort of shop. He couldn't read the sign. His suspicion of being far from Hyrule increased.

He walked under an arched entranceway. It was a masterpiece of stonework. He couldn't have known it was the pride of the island. It was carved out of solid white marble and the designs on it gracefully twisted and curved. It reminded him of the wind…

As Link passed some of the island's inhabitants, they stared. He didn't notice that people were whispering about him, nor did he notice that their language was different than his. He walked upon a winding path that led throughout the city.

Link climbed a few stairs and eventually reached the windmill he'd noticed earlier. It was happily turning due to a steady gust of wind. He heard some more whispers and suddenly felt unwelcome. He walked for a few more hours exploring the town and then gave up.

"So much for that. I doubt these idiots even know what month it is."

By now, he'd wandered out onto a cliff overlooking the sea. It was a fairly calm day and the sea glittered with the early evening sun. A light breeze blew eastward. It ruffled his hair and stirred the palm leaves. It was perhaps seven o'clock. Link watched the sun set and sighed. He looked to his right and noticed a large stone slab. An eerie feeling of déjà vu flooded his system.

He examined the stone closer and found words carved into it. His expression went from curious to amazed in an instant. He could read them! His mouth fell open when he glanced over the words. Not only was this rock a tombstone, with an epitaph carved into it, but he'd seen it countless times in his life. The stone had originally been larger, but pieces of the sides were missing. This made certain words incomplete, but that was okay as he knew the words by heart.

It read:

RIP

the souls of

re fealty to th

al Family of Hyru

kah, guardians

ily and founders

ko, watch over these

eir eternal slumber.

Link gawked. This was the tombstone from the Kakariko Village graveyard!

It definitely had been broken, then weathered to look natural, but this was it. It was also his final indication that he was in Hyrule. And in Kakariko Village!

"Wait a minute. This can't be right! If I died, how could I still be in Hyrule? And the ocean was nowhere near Kakariko! How could it have become like this?"

And if this is Kakariko… no, it can't be. Where's the well? Or Impa's house? And where is Death Mountain? I should be able to see it from here!

And did the rest of the graveyard get washed away by the sea?"

His reverie was interrupted by the sound of many people running. Link turned abruptly and saw them coming towards him. They shouted something that he couldn't understand. He was surprised to see a few of them carrying clubs.

They were about ten feet from him when their leader stopped and yelled at him. He was quite aggressive with his words, but Link had no idea what he said.

I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're saying. Link said. He was about to turn and ignore them, but then he noticed the perplexed looks on their faces. "So they don't understand me either." He thought. "This is going to be tough…"

The mob whispered excitedly amongst itself. Whatever they were saying didn't sound too good. Finally their leader stepped up and addressed Link again. He practically spat out his words and pointed at several of his cohorts.

Link shrugged and shook his head. What more could he do? Perhaps that would get the message across. It didn't.

The man's eyes widened and he took a step back. Link realized he'd given the man an answer to some question, and it obviously wasn't the right one. He mentally slapped himself. Now he was in for it.

The man's buddies appeared as if they were rallying for war. They shook their clubs and yelled. Out of the blue one ran at Link and readied his club for a hit.

Link's response was involuntary. He'd been fighting ever since he was ten years old, and the man's hostile behavior triggered his lightning-quick reaction. The man was disarmed and unconcious before he could advance any further. Link's sword glittered brilliantly, expecting battle. His eyes flashed angrily.

The other members of the group gasped. Link hoped they'd give up and leave him alone, but instead they charged again. Link readied his sword and prepared for another wave. At the last second, he struck the first man within range. He used the hilt of his sword and knocked the air out of him. Link left him gasping like a fish.

The second attacker was not so easy. This one was more offensive, so Link stepped to the side and blocked the club with the cross-guard of his sword. With a quick flick of his wrist, Link disarmed the man and kicked him in the ribs. He tumbled down the cliff and splashed into the waves below. The third followed him soon after.

All of a sudden Link noticed that he was surrounded. The mob's leader took advantage of his pause and slammed his club into the back of Link's head.

The last thing he saw was the tombstone coming straight at his face.

* * *

AH HA! More mysteries. Link finds himself in the Wind Waker world! This is my take on it so get ready people! And I liked the way I started the chappie ou with a Chu. I hate them in the game but it worked! CHUS! And poor Linky, he got knocked out in the end... but he'll be fine! 

The tombstone, in case you were confused, really is the one from the Kakariko Village graveyard. It was 'broken' in this fic, so if you want to read the whole thing, bring out Ocarina of Time! I still play that game and love it. Oh, and Link did find a piece of his Triforce of Courage. I'll incorporate that later! One final note: All Ancient Hylian will be written in brackets.

Thanks for your patience, and don;t forget to click that nice, shiny review button! Constructive critiscim helps, but I love all reviews! Can't you hear the review button calling your name?

Koholint


	3. Link of Outset

Finally, I know. It's a lot longer than the last two, so the wait was worth it, I promise you! By the way, Link's name changes midway through the chapter. Just keep an eye out for that, and don't get confused! That would be very bad.

On to Chapter 3! Enjoy!

BTW, Shadow and Achitka, your questions will be answered in this chappie! Thanks to anyone and everyone who's reviewed.

* * *

Link groggily awoke. He had a terrible headache and his face hurt, presumably from where he'd hit the tombstone. He found himself lying on a small cot.

He glanced around and cursed. He'd been placed in an uncomfortably small prison cell with nothing in it except the cot and a meager plate of some food and water. Link ravenously wolfed down the food, having become conscious of how hungry he was.

Then he drained the glass of water, but a little too quickly. It went down the wrong tube and he coughed. Recovering, he rubbed his sore nose and looked around again.

The room he'd been placed in was split; one half of the room was his jail and the other was a nearly empty space. The other side had a door that Link knew led outside. Pots were in the corners of that room.

Link decided to figure out a way to escape. He rattled the door, and for some reason it was locked.

"How cliché…" Link thought cynically.

He checked to see if any of the bars were loose, but that didn't happen either. He sighed dejectedly. Unless he used Din's Fire (which would probably burn the down building and roast him alive) he wasn't getting out. His sword was gone too, so he couldn't hack through the wood. He sat down on the folding bed and noticed a small mouse hole. He rolled his eyes; maybe if he were twenty years younger he could squeeze through. Link lay on his back, folded his hands behind his head, and closed his eyes. His entire system cried out for sleep, but Link forced himself to think.

"OK, so what the hell am I doing here? I died, woke up here and am now prisoner on some island, which I now know is Kakariko Village. But this can't be Kakariko! Unless I'm in some other parallel world like Termina? But I can easily go from Hyrule to Termina… I don't know about this dump.

Damn, and I'm so tired. Why? Didn't I get knocked out for a few hours? Wasn't I dead? I shouldn't need sleep! Maybe it's just because I'm so stressed out."

A creaking noise interrupted his thoughts. He sat bolt upright, startled, and looked in the direction of the exit. The door appeared to open by itself. He caught a quick glance of the precious outdoors. A salty sea breeze slipped inside just before it closed. Link caught a quick glance of the sun and saw that it was midmorning.

He wondered who could've come inside, but then he looked down. Two little girls, no older than eight, were staring at him. They whispered to each other and giggled. Link rolled his eyes and ignored them. The girls, getting the drift, ran back outside pretending to be scared. They even faked screams.

A few minutes later, a rather large woman came. She forced her way through the narrow door. Link was astounded that she even fit. He laughed silently under his breath. The woman reminded him of a pig. She fixed her beady black eyes on him.

After scrutinizing him for a bit, she nodded grimly to herself. Link thought he could hear her muttering something, which was obviously about him. She left, still talking to herself.

Link burst out laughing when she was gone. The fat lady had an even harder time getting out! He wiped tears from his eyes and tried to calm his mirth. The door creaked open again and he stopped his laugher immediately.

Four boys strutted inside. Link ignored them too, until they started throwing clods of dirt at him. Fortunately, Link's expert reflexes allowed him to dodge easily, but his temper was rising. The boys finally ran away when their dirt supply depleted.

"You better run," Link hissed, brushing dirt off him. "I swear, this place gets worse every minute. I'd rather have stayed dead… well, ok, not really, but this_ sucks_."

A couple more people came in to gawk. He felt like a zoo exhibit! Link's already shortened temper began to flare. If one more person came in he'd give them a piece of his mind, or at least his fist, provided they came close enough. He was extremely pissed.

Luckily, it seemed the town had gotten the message. Nobody came in for hours. Link quickly got bored out of his mind. He would've welcomed company as long as they didn't throw crap at him. At long last, the door creaked open. Judging by the person's silhouette, Link grew angry again. It was another one of those dirt-throwing boys…

However, it was not. Link's temper died down when he saw the boy. He was probably twelve or thirteen, and didn't seem the least perturbed by Link. He smiled shyly and walked in, curiously looking around the shabby space. His eyes rested no longer than a few seconds on Link, but his expression suggested confusion.

The boy swept away the mop of blonde hair that hung over one eye. It immediately fell back into place, and he disregarded it. The boy was wearing orange pants and brown sandals. The blue of his shirt set off his equally sapphire eyes. Link was shocked to see that the boy's eyes were exactly like his. Then Link saw the hat. It was a perfect replica of the one he always wore!

Link pretended to hide his astonishment and tried speaking. The boy seemed to honestly try to understand, but then shrugged. He almost felt like he was meeting a much younger version of himself. Link exhaled, trying to deter his immense confusion.

"This is like a really weird dream…" he thought, "I hope I wake up soon. This is driving me insane."

The lad smiled tentatively and gestured to the door. Link wondered if he was asking him something, or if he was leaving… The kid turned around. It was then that he saw the sword and shield hanging from his back. Link's mind reeled.

"What's he doing, playing a stupid game? And that shield seems awfully small," Link thought. "But, he could help me…"

The boy opened the door and was about to step outside. Link racked his mind for an idea and glanced at his left hand.

"My Triforce shard! Why didn't I think of it earlier?" He didn't know if one measly shard was going to help, but luckily the fragment was enough. He concentrated entirely on the piece and a glowing light shone from it. After a brief moment, he felt a strange tingling sensation and the glow faded. The whole procedure took less than a second and the lad still hadn't left.

"Wait!" Link blurted out.

The boy turned around, startled. "You mean, you DO speak our language?" he exclaimed. "I thought you didn't!"

Link thought fast. "I was…pretending," he said quickly. "I didn't want to bother speaking to anyone."

The boy grinned. "I understand," he said. "The people here are pretty annoying. Just a few minutes ago some little girls I didn't even know came up to me and started talking. That's why I came, actually…"

"What did they say?" Link asked, curious.

"Oh, just something about a 'guy in jail who looks like me.' I had to see what they were talking about," a quizzical expression crossed his features. "I don't know why they said that. Maybe it's because we have the same color hair!" He laughed. "And if you don't mind me asking, what did you do?" The boy stepped inside again and closed the door.  
"Do? To get in prison?" The lad nodded. "Oh, that. I honestly don't know. I didn't kill anyone, if that's what you mean."

He nodded again. "Apparently the islanders think you kidnapped some of the local girls. But don't worry; I know they're wrong from experience. I…personally witnessed my sister get snatched by a huge bird. I'm trying to save her, actually…" He trailed off, and Link could tell he was crushed about his sister.

"I'm sorry, kid. By the way, what's your name?" Link asked, trying to change the subject.

The kid seemed to brighten. "Me? I'm Link. And what's yours?" he asked politely.

"I-I'm…" He thought fast, trying to think of a name. He couldn't just say "Oh, my name's Link too." He glanced at a box in the cell that read 'Ravensburgh Wineries-The Finest Wine on the Great Sea.' Seeing no other option he answered, "Raven. I'm Raven." He mentally slapped himself for how stupid the name sounded. Oh well, it was better than 'Wine.'

"Raven, huh? Cool name. Well, I'm sorry, but I have to go. I have an urgent errand that I need to finish."

"Wait! Link…" He felt weird saying his own name.

"Yeah?"

"Could you get me out of here?"

Link looked uncomfortable. "I'm sorry- I, I really need to leave. I can come back when I'm done with my errand, though."

Raven sighed, relieved. "Could you look for my sword then? The guys who threw me in here took it."

"You're a swordsman? Wow! But yeah, I'll look for it! I bet that rich fatso has it." Link was suddenly eager to help. He left, saying, "I'll be back within an hour, Raven! I'll be sure to snitch your sword." He darted out the door and let it slam behind him.

"Energetic little thing," Raven smiled, "I remember when I was like that. Now I'm hitting thirty! At least he didn't think the name 'Raven' was dumb." He sighed and waited for Link to return.

He finally came back, this time carrying Raven's sword. He walked rather awkwardly, carefully carrying the sword. He beamed and handed him the weapon.

"That's a really amazing sword you have, Raven! You've been a swordsman all your life, haven't you?"

"For the most part. Dang, and this isn't gonna cut through this wood, either." He unsheathed the sword. "Nope. This wood is way too hard." He resheathed it. "Link, could you check around for some kind of switch? This door has no keyhole, so it's not hand operated."

"Sure!" Link enthusiastically checked the far side of the room and proceeded to shove some of the pots away. He kicked one impatiently and it fell over and broke. "Whoopsy! But here's the switch." He stepped onto the floor button and the door dutifully swung open.

Raven hastily stepped out of the cell, almost as though he thought the door would close again. "Thanks! I owe you one. What are the villagers doing?"

Link fiddled with his hair. "I thought you'd ask me that, so I checked. All of 'em are at a meeting deciding what to do with you. Poor souls have nothing better to do…" he snickered. "And the coast's clear, so you can go outside without any trouble."

"I really owe you, Link!" Raven said. "You have great foresight. But, do you have a boat? I don't want to stay here with rabid villagers after me."

"Yup. Where do you need a lift to?"

Raven faltered. "Um, well, where am I now?"

"You don't know? You must be visiting the Great Sea then," Link said. "This is Windfall Island. Nearby is Pawprint Isle and the Buzzard Roostwell, Dragon Roost Isle. That's just what I call it."

"Link, I don't know any of those places. How about you just take me along and I can help rescue your sister?"

"You'd do that? Really? I sure could use some help. The King of Red Lions doesn't count."

"The King of Red Lions? Who's that?"

"My boat. Yeah, it sounds bizarre, but I think I can trust you. Come on, I'll introduce you." He tugged Raven outside and ran off, expecting him to follow. He headed towards the harbor.

Link called, "Hoy! My boat's over there!" He pointed in the direction of the cove Raven had taken refuge in. He quickly disappeared around the bend.

Raven followed and came face to face with a boat. It had a lovely coat of red and white paint, which were in excellent condition. The boat itself seemed rather small, but in fact it was large enough to hold up to three people and supplies. The beautifully carved dragon figurehead faced Link's direction. It was speaking to him.

"I see," it said, then swiveled its head towards Raven. "Greetings, Raven. It is an honor to meet you." It craned its long neck in a noble bow. Raven, flabbergasted, could only nod. He thought he'd seen it all, and then came a talking boat…

Hero of Time! I am glad to have finally found you. Do you know I have been searching for you for over three hundred years?

Raven wasn't sure he'd heard right. He'd just heard a boat talk! Not to mention the fact that the boat obviously knew who he was. He fumbled with words, still too stunned for speech. Finally, his tongue loosened and he could speak.

He noticed Link busy with the sail and hastily whispered, What do you mean? How do you know me?

The King of Red Lions whispered, Shh. Do not let Link over there understand you or know your true identity. There is no need for him to know right now, and I pray there never will be. Leave it at this: Over six hundred years have passed since your death, Hero, and we have much to discuss.

To Link he said, "Come, Link, if you want to rescue Aryll, we must head to the Forest Haven immediately."

Link finished raising the sail and wiped his brow.

"Ok, hang on, this sail's not cooperating. There."

He fixed the sail, then stepped back to admire his handiwork and check for any further mistakes. Satisfied, he climbed into the boat and waved Raven over.

"Come on! Let's go!"

"Coming, Link, coming…" Raven was still a bit unsure about the craft. The King of Red Lions seemed to know more than he wanted him to know. Could he trust him?

"Well, there's nothing I can do about that now," he thought, stepping into the boat. "I'll just have to see where this escapade take me."

"You've done plenty of that, haven't you?" his mind told him smugly. Yeah, yeah…

"Link, we need to go southeast," The King of Red Lions stated. "I trust you haven't lost the Wind Waker yet…?"

"You don't give me enough credit!" Link complained, steering the boat away from the inlet and out to sea. "Do you really think I'd lose it?" He shook his head, feigning disappointment, but Raven could see that he was smiling. Link let go of the rudder and fished through a small russet bag.

"Here it is, safe and sound," Link held up a white baton about the length of a dagger. It had graceful, curving designs that laced up from the bottom of the wand and ended in a swirl off the main piece. The carvings depicted the wind much like the arch in Windfall did. "So! Southeast it is, then, right?"

The King of Red Lions nodded and Link lifted up the baton. Raven was entirely baffled.

"Oh, Raven! Sorry, sorry," he laughed at Raven's bewilderment. "This is the Wind Waker! I don't know much about it other than the fact that it allows me to control the wind. Handy little thing, though!" he grinned. "I think the King of Red Lions said it was used in some ancient ceremony, but that doesn't really matter."

The King of Red Lions grumbled something about 'kids these days…' He perked up when Link began conducting.

Raven was transfixed. He'd never seen anything of the sort in his life! And Link obviously knew what he was doing…his hand flicked at just the right intervals. Raven suddenly became aware of music.

It was singing. He couldn't say where it was coming from. It sounded like the ocean and the wind were singing an eerie, yet beautiful, duet. The sound permeated through the air and encircled them with its melancholy lament. Raven had the feeling that only he and his two companions could hear the tune.

Abruptly, the melody stopped. A sudden blast of wind from the northwest sent them on their way. The elegant shape of their craft cut through the water like a knife. Sea foam frothed out behind them in their wake. Link inhaled deeply.

"I just love the sea!" he exclaimed, stretching. "It's great this time of year. You can see the fish dart around and the birds soar to incredible heights!" He abandoned the rudder for the time being.

"Link," the King of Red Lions warned, "You need to stop ignoring the rudder! What if you send us hopelessly off course?"

"I won't!" Link answered jauntily, "I know what I'm doing. After all, my father was a sailor, too!" He winked.

Raven was enjoying the sea, too. It had been many years since he'd seen the ocean, and he'd missed it thoroughly. His hair blew about and the breeze refreshed him. He was about to close his eyes and relax when he caught sight of the island he'd first found himself on. He abruptly remembered his ocarina.

"Link!" he called over the gale, "Could you go over there?" He pointed to the island.

"What, Pawprint Isle? Sure," Link adjusted the rudder and docked on the island a few moments later.

"Good thing this island's on the way, otherwise I would've forgotten," Raven thought. "I couldn't bear leaving the Ocarina of Time behind."

Link and Raven both hopped out of the boat and scrambled ashore. Raven headed for the tree in which he'd hidden his ocarina while Link wrapped the sail around the mast to keep the boat from going anywhere. He poked around a bit when he was through.

Raven quickly found the tree and retrieved his shield. Then he grabbed his hat, with the ocarina still inside it. He reached in it and pulled it out.

The ocarina's blue surface reflected the early afternoon sun. Luckily, it hadn't suffered any damage. Raven ran his hand over the smooth porcelain. He wondered how many times he'd used it in his quests…it was extremely important to him. Zelda had given it to him.

Link, becoming nosy, walked over and cocked his head. "What's that? It's really weird, but I think I've seen it before."

"This? Oh, it's a musical instrument called an ocarina," he replied, tucking it in back in his cap. He didn't put the hat on, though. If the King of Red Lions was true to his word, the hat would be recognized by Link, and plus, he was just lazy. He hoisted up his shield and stood up.

"You have a shield too? It looks great!" Link admired the shield, then looked up at the sky and frowned. "We better be going, Raven. It's going to rain soon. I'd like to get ahead of these clouds before they burst." He turned and left.

"He's right, Raven!" called the King of Red Lions. "We have a long sail ahead of us before we reach the Forest Haven."

"Coming!" Raven shouted. The wind began to pick up speed and it violently whipped his hair about. He took a last look around and boarded the boat. Link adjusted the rudder and opened the sail. It instantaneously filled with air and sent them off.

Link was still making minor adjustments to the sail. He fiddled with the rigging and checked a few eyelets. He bit his lip and scowled. "Stupid sail…" he muttered, "It never cooperates when I need speed."

"Link, pay attention to that rudder!" The King of Red Lions snapped. "Don't neglect it!"

"Hmph. I'll just do this," Link retorted. He opened a hatch in front of the mast's base and pulled out some rope, which he tied around the rudder's handle. He tied the loose ends of the rope to some pegs on the sides of the boat.

"That rudder's not going anywhere," Link stated. "Now can I sleep? You said this trip's gonna take a couple hours."

"I suppose you can, but why don't you tell Raven about your journey instead? It'll keep you awake until we're out of these dangerous cross winds," The King of Red Lions said. "We might need you to get us going straight if we get blown in the wrong direction."

Link rolled his eyes and complained. "Come on! All it takes is a few waves of the Wind Waker and we're back on course! You need to stop being such a worrywart."

"You say that as if it were trivial! Only you can use the Wind Waker, Link. The wind is yours, and yours only, to control," The ship answered. "It took me a long time to find you and I don't need you dozing off when you might be needed."

Link muttered something indiscernible under his breath, yet complied. "Do you really care to hear it Raven? It's been a rather dull adventure so far."

"Sure. It'd help pass the time, too."

"Ok, I'm not too good at telling stories, but here goes," Link said. "Hmm…let's see here…I think I'm just gonna have to tell you my life story. It'd be too difficult to explain some junk otherwise.

I was born on an island in the south, far southwest from here. It's small there, but very pretty. It's always warm and the skies are clear. It's name is Outset Island," Link trailed off, and his eyes shone, reflecting the ocean. He looked off into the distance and Raven could tell he was much more homesick than he acted.

"Well, yeah," Link said rather hurriedly, "Aryll, my sister, was born when I was three. My mother died shortly after. I can't remember her too well, except I remember that she was always smiling. My father was crushed. He was lost in a storm at sea when I was seven. My grandmother took over raising us," Link shoved his hair out of his face, but of course it didn't obey.

"Are you ok now?" Raven asked sympathetically.

"Me? Yeah. My grandma's great; even if I was still sad she'd help," Link replied. "I hope she's fine back home, being alone and all."

"I bet she's just waiting for you to come home."

Link's melancholy demeanor fled. "You're right. I need to stop worrying so much and enjoy myself! This is the first time I've ever left Outset. He dipped his hand into the waves and let it hang over the side of the boat. "It was getting rather boring."

"Anyway, three days ago I turned thirteen. On Outset, thirteen is when you come of age. It was supposed to be the best day of my life. I had to wear weird clothes, though." He glanced sideways at Raven. "The clothes looked similar to yours. The custom supposedly honors the Hero of Time from the Legend. Oh!" Link exclaimed, tapping his cap, "This hat matches them, but I liked it so much that I'm still wearing it. I also got this sword.

Aryll lent me her telescope for the day, and as I was looking through it, I saw this gigantic bird. Naturally, I thought I'd zoomed in too much, but when I went to zoom out, I noticed the bird had a girl in its claws. Weird, I know, but it's true! Next I saw this pirate ship, and WHAM!" Link punched his own hand, "They hit that bird perfectly and it dropped the girl on Outset's plateau. Well, on the forest across from it; a suspension bridge connects the two.

I ran up to see what happened and see if she was OK, which she was, but she ignored me. She started to head back to her ship and I followed. Unfortunately Aryll followed me up the plateau. She caught up to me when I exited the woods and was about to cross the bridge. She waved and I thought things were all happy-go-lucky. Then Aryll ran across the bridge and the bird appeared out of nowhere. It…it snatched her up and…" Link pretended to examine a fingernail while he controlled his tears. "Well, the bird…took her…away."

Raven didn't know what to say. He himself had never had a sibling, let alone any family. Unless Saria counted? But even then he'd never experienced such a loss. He had no idea how to comfort Link.

"Well Link, we're on our way to rescue her now—you'll save her soon enough."

Link swallowed. "Yeah… well, after that, I talked to Tetra—oh! Tetra's the pirate girl. She's captain of her ship, which she inherited from her mother. That's all I know about her. She's very weird.

In the end I talked her into taking me on her ship. She knew where the bird roosted and of course, that's where I needed to go. Quill, the postman, helped me too. He told me to get a shield, and so I had to use the family shield. It's old, but it works.

When we finally got to the Forsaken Fortress (the bird's roost- I found out later its name is the Helmaroc King), I had to go alone. That place was very well guarded, but I managed to sneak past the patrols. When I got to the place where Aryll was, that damn bird snatches me up! It took me to the highest tower where this fat dude ordered it to throw me out to sea. I would've died if King of Red Lions here didn't save me."

The King of Red Lions appeared mighty pleased with himself.

Raven managed to slip in a question before Link could go on with his story. "Link, who was the guy at the top of the tower?" He had a whim, but he desperately wanted it proven wrong.

"The King of Red Lions said it was the Ganondorf from the Legend."

Ganondorf, Raven said, disbelieving. Ganondorf… Dread washed over him.

It is true, Hero, The King of Red Lions said, Be patient. I will explain everything later. The Great Deku Tree can also help. Do not mention the subject again until we arrive at the Forest Haven. You'd know it as the Kokiri Forest.

Raven's eyes widened. The Kokiri Forest? Then you mean

Hero. Do not speak. You're making Link quite suspicious.

Link did appeared baffled rather than suspicious, but Raven shut up anyway.

"Um, what's going on? Is this some touchy subject?" Link asked.

"No, it's nothing…go on with your story," Raven answered quickly.

Link shrugged his shoulders and continued.

"So then he drags me to Dragon Roost Isle. He told me that, to save Aryll, I'd have to gather the three Pearls of the Goddesses. He said that the Rito tribe that lived there held the first one.

I met a whole bunch of people there. Quill, the Rito postman who helped me earlier, introduced me. I met the chieftain's son, Komali, and Medli, the attendant to Valoo. Valoo is their guardian spirit who lives on the peak of Dragon Roost. He's basically a fat red dragon.

I found out that Komali had the Pearl. But of course, that jerk wasn't about to give it to me. He was sore about not getting a scale from Valoo, which the Ritos need to fly. Valoo was being crazy, though, and he couldn't go get the scale. Idiot takes it all out on me.

Medli helped out, at least, and showed me to Dragon Roost Cavern. I made my way to the room under Valoo and found this giant crablike insect. It was pinching his tail and making him get irritated. Being the good person I always am" Here the King of Red Lions snorted, "I killed it and got the Pearl. Piece of cake, actually." Link puffed himself up with pride. "You know the rest."

The ocean glittered prettily and seagulls screamed overhead. The sun shone bright and warm. The two travelers and their neurotic boat sailed on to their destination.

* * *

Alright, Amme Moto. Shut up. 

I got the name 'Raven' from the Oracle of Ages manga by Akira Himekawa. Technically it's 'Reban' but same difference, right? The winery thing was stupid, I know. But what else could the boxes say? 'Drink Coca-Cola'? ...Nooo.

Yay, I put Wind Waker Link in this fic! He's so cute! I used to hate the WW graphics, but now I think they're really cool. I'm trying to tie OOT into WW with this fic. Hope you enjoyed it.

I'll reply to all reviews, which is why I don't do the review thing at the beginning of the chapter. Please review, alright? Me loves reviews!

Koholint


End file.
